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February 9, 2025

AG: Facebook Blocked Lists Are Public Records Subject To FOIA –

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On February 4, 2025

Edwardsville, Ill. (ECWd) –

Press Release:

EDWARDSVILLE, IL – The Illinois Attorney General Public Access Counselor decided that Chris Slusser’s withholding of “Facebook Blocked Lists” are in fact public records and are being withheld against Illinois Law.

Allegations against former Treasurer Chris Slusser for blocking individuals from public access to the Treasurer’s public Facebook page were confirmed by the Illinois Attorney General. The lists of who were blocked were requested and denied by Slusser.

Former Madison County Administrator Douglas Hulme, who opposed Chris Slusser in a race for Treasurer in 2022, filed a Freedom of Information Request to reveal the list of who Chris Slusser had blocked.

The Illinois Attorney General stated, “This office has reviewed the instructions for viewing blocked accounts from Facebook. As the Treasurer’s Office states in its response, Facebook’s instructions provide that in order to view accounts that the user has blocked, the account owner can click on Settings, then Blocking. The Treasurer’s Office, as owner of the account, chooses which accounts to block on Facebook thus creating the lists of accounts that are blocked on the site by the act of blocking them. Therefore, the lists of its blocked accounts on Facebook are under the control of the Treasurer’s Office.”

State’s Attorney Tom Haine argued on behalf of Chris Slusser to the Illinois Attorney General that any public records of Slusser blocking members of the public were not public records. Haine has a history of paying numerous lawyers, including pricey St. Louis law firms like Armstrong Teasdale to deny public requests for information.

The Illinois Attorney General disagreed with Haine and Slusser and decided, “this office has determined that the Facebook block list is a public record for the purposes of FOIA.”

Chris Slusser has a history of using any means necessary to advance his political career,” Hulme said. “From wearing a wire to secretly record individuals in 2017-2018, to breaking into his co-workers belongings to get dirt on them as an SIUE cop, to deleting numerous public records, Slusser has a history of recklessly using any means necessary to advance his agenda and I want to know whose First Amendment rights were intentionally violated here, because it looks to me that this is a case of political retaliation.

As of today, the current Treasurer appointed by Chris Slusser, has not released the “Facebook blocked lists.”

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1 Comment
  • Cynthia
    Posted at 08:12h, 04 February Reply

    Wow, this is huge and can be used to gain blocked lists that have been built by other politicians to deny transparency.

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